JACKSON,
Mich., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A key
regulatory decision today cleared the way for Consumers Energy to
stop burning coal to generate electricity by 2025 — 15 years faster
than previously planned — and provide reliable electricity for
Michigan.
The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) approved Consumers
Energy's agreement with a diverse group of stakeholders on updates
to its Clean Energy Plan, a 20-year blueprint to meet Michigan's energy needs while protecting the
environment for future generations.
A broad coalition of supporters for the plan includes customer
groups, environmental organizations, MPSC staff, energy industry
representatives and the Michigan
Attorney General.
Consumers Energy is one of the first utilities in the nation to
go coal-free.
"This is a historic moment in Michigan's clean energy transformation
journey," said Garrick Rochow,
President and CEO of Consumers Energy. "The Clean Energy Plan is a
sea change that positions our company as a national leader and
empowers us to deliver reliable energy while protecting the planet
for decades to come."
The updates to Consumers Energy's Clean Energy Plan — first
approved in 2019 — include:
- COAL PLANT RETIREMENTS BY 2025: closes all three units
at the J.H. Campbell coal plant in
West Olive in 2025 in addition to
two units at the D.E. Karn coal plant in 2023 (as per the 2018
Clean Energy Plan) and will be among the first utilities in the
nation to go coal-free by 2025.
- SYSTEM RELIABILITY: ensures supply reliability through
the purchase of the Covert Generating Station in Van Buren County, a natural gas-fired power
plant. Additionally, we plan to purchase 700 megawatts of
electric capacity — roughly the equivalent of a power plant — from
a variety of sources through a one-time request for proposal
(RFP).
- RISE OF SOLAR: continues the rapid transition to clean,
renewable sources by adding nearly 8,000 megawatts (MW) of solar
power by 2040 ensuring 90 percent of our capacity comes from clean
sources. Learn more at ConsumersEnergy.com/MiSolar
- BATTERY DEPLOYMENT: accelerates energy storage with a
total of 75 MW of energy storage by 2027, achieving 550 MW by
2040.
- AFFORDABLE ENERGY: creates price stability and helps
customers save an estimated $600 million
dollars through 2040 compared to the current plan. Consumers
Energy would also continue its successful energy waste reduction
programs that have saved customers nearly $5
billion since 2009. In addition, the company has committed
to continue to fund utility bill assistance programs for low-income
customers.
"Together, we've created the best Clean Energy Plan for
Michigan," Rochow said. "We're
building a dramatically different energy landscape in which
customers won't have to choose between protecting the planet and
their pocketbooks. We will do both while making sure our state has
the reliable power it needs."
Consumers Energy, Michigan's
largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy
(NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8
million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower
Peninsula counties.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to
www.ConsumersEnergy.com.
Check out Consumers Energy on Social
Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consumersenergymichigan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/consumersenergy
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/consumersenergy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consumersenergy
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SOURCE CMS Energy